Body after baby week 2

This week was very busy between work and family. Dot decided to do a bottle strike and her reflux has been really bad! So needless to say this will be a short post.

While I didn't get on the Wii fit as much as I would have like (meaning not at all after Sunday), I did continue to do mini work outs at work.

Also I started hockey back this week. It was great to see everyone again. When we split up to start practice I voluntarily went with the beginners after being out of practice for 9 months. After a few minutes I remembered how much fun it was. Granted we were working on basics but I really enjoyed it. By the end of the hour and a half I was soaked in sweat and generally feeling that I got a good work out. Next week is going to be the real test when we scrimmage for an hour and a half. This will definitely be a test of my cardio endurance.

Also we have skate with the Chargers this week. I know Butters will have a great time seeing all the guys again and it is one hell of a work out for me trying to hold up a 40lb 2 year old on the ice!

Now to address the question of the week. What is your favorite part of your workout? My favorite part is right after I stretch out and really get into it. The endorphins start to flow and I just tend to really get into it.

Body after baby week 1

Week one of body after baby went pretty well. I stepped on the scale today and one pound is gone.

On the exercise front I was able to work out on the Wii fit a few times this week plus increase the mini workouts that I do at the office. I mainly do squats and leg lifts while I pump since I have nothing else to do during that time. Plus I spend most of my day sitting at a computer so it always helps wake me up a little to get up and get moving in some small way. Due to the really cold weather we have had lately I haven’t been walking during lunch. I can’t wait til it warms up a little more and we can start walking again.

On Thursday I start practicing with the women's hockey team again and I’m really excited. I know I’m going to be really sore and tired come Friday but it should be a lot of fun to put all the gear on and lace up my skates once again.

My desk at work is stocked with healthy items such as baked lays (so I can stay away from the vending machine chips), oatmeal, special K granola and Archer Farms triple berry granola bars. The Archer Farms bars are just sweet enough and have a good bit of fiber and protein in them which helps me feel like I’m eating something more substancial.Well this week went pretty well. I stepped on the scale and one pound is gone.
On the exercise front I was able to work out on the Wii fit a few times this week plus increase the mini workouts that I do at the office. I mainly do squats and leg lifts while I pump since I have nothing else to do during that time. Plus I spend most of my day sitting at a computer so it always helps wake me up a little to get up and get moving in some small way. Due to the really cold weather we have had lately I haven’t been walking during lunch. I can’t wait til it warms up a little more and we can start walking again.
On Thursday I start practicing with the women’s hockey team again and I’m really excited. I know I’m going to be really sore and tired come Friday but it should be a lot of fun to put all the gear on and lace up my skates once again.
My desk at work is stocked with healthy items such as baked lays (so I can stay away from the vending machine chips), oatmeal, special K granola and Archer Farms triple berry granola bars. The Archer Farms bars are just sweet enough and have a good bit of fiber and protein in them which helps me feel like I’m eating something more substantial.

My hypoglycemia has been ok. Monday and Tuesday were bad. I just couldn’t seem to get control of it. Gradually I am getting better but some days are just really difficult. I try and snack before I feel it get really bad.

So far though so good. I'm happy with my progress and I know the ares that I need to work on.

NICU x2

How many parents know how it feels to have their baby only minutes old be taken away to the NICU? How many with their second have the exact same thing happen? These questions have been on my mind lately.

When I was pregnant with Butters I remember sitting in childbirth class and watching the video of the NICU. All I wanted to do was cry the entire time. I just thought that things were going so well with the pregnancy that there was little chance we would end up there.

I vividly remember Butter's birth. When I went into labor I was 37 weeks pregnant and so close to full term that we and my OB thought things would be fine. He said there was a slight chance of respiratory issues, but the chances were pretty low. Only minutes after he was born I was still in shock and he had barely let out a cry. I was told by a nurse within a couple of minutes that they were going to take him to the NICU for further observation. Luckily W got to bring him to me and let me see him before he walked with the nurse up to the NICU. Then about an hour later we got the call that he would be there for 4 days minimum. The 4 days turned into 7 before he finally got to come home.

Fast forward 2.5 years. I was pregnant with Dot and having constant contractions. I was on meds to stop labor and yet they kept coming. All of this started at around 28 weeks. We were so focused on getting as far as we could to give her the best shot at not having to go to the NICU like her big brother. Finally at 37 weeks and 1 day I was admitted to the hospital to finally let nature take its course after having contractions the night before. We were told so many times that girls do much better so we didn't think there was any reason to worry. After she was born she did cry, but the NICU was called for a consult. Once again my child was taken from me. And once again about 2 hours after she was born I got the call in my room that she was being admitted. I remember the neonatologist said that they did everything they could but she was following in her brother’s footsteps.

A couple of days into Dot’s stay I got to talk to Dr. Morris as he made his rounds. He told me that the studies are still being reported on, but it looks like if the first baby has respiratory distress like Butter’s did, that the chances of a sibling having are in the 80 to 90% range. He even said that there was another baby in the NICU that the exact same thing happened to his/her older sibling.

When your child is in the NICU there aren’t the normal visitors of friends and family for the most part. When Dot was born we did have W’s family come up and another good friend, but that was it. For me the biggest support with both kids was W and the nurses and lactation consultants at the hospital. The one we had at night with Dot was wonderful. One night she stayed in the room and just talked about things with us. Because sometimes after a situation like that you just need someone who has been there / done that kind of thing. There was also the lactation consultant came by one day before I headed down to the NICU. Her words of encouragement were priceless and just the fact that she came by to make sure I was ok not physically but emotionally. She talked for just a few minutes before giving me a hug and reassuring me that I was doing everything right for my baby girl. Another group that was a huge help were the women on a local breastfeeding message board run by the owner of A Nurturing Moment. She herself is a lactation consultant and answered my questions and just made herself available if needed. The other members were also wonderful in offering their support.

Having both in the NICU within 2.5 years of each other brought out the best and worst in W and I. Many times we were just mad and generally angry at the turn of events. But even through it all I think it made us stronger.

To this day I still feel guilty. I know I did everything I could but the guilt is still there. All I wanted was to bring one of them home when I was discharged. I wanted to room in, but of course that didn’t happen. I remember crying in the middle of the night while W was asleep. I kept hearing babies down the hall and it just tore me up inside.

I have no clue what spurred me to write this post. I’ve had these thoughts in my head for some time but struggled to ever write them down.

I guess in some way I hope that someone will read this at some point who is either going/ been through something similar. I hope that it shows them that they are not alone even though that’s exactly the way it feels.

Body after Baby Challenge

So I've decided to do the Body After Baby Challenge since Elli was officially our last and I really need to loose the weight. I'm not making excuses as to why after 3 months I'm not back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Right now I weigh 135lbs which most people would say isn't bad at all for my 5'4" frame. Ultimately I would like to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight of 125 but for this challenge my goal is to loose 5lbs.


Other goals for this challenge are:

• To get my hypoglycemia under control. Right now with nursing for some reason most days I don't feel really good or in control of my blood sugar. The odd thing is I seem to do better when I'm at work rather than at home. Its something I have struggled with for a long time and I really want to get a better control over it and how my body handles food.
  
• Get more exercise. During the week a co-worker and I spend half an hour walking which is really good or at least I think so. Also on January 14th I am going to start playing ice hockey again. I would love to start going to the gym in our apartment but in all honesty the only time I have to do that is early in the morning and most of the time I would go to the gym I'm awake with Elli.
  
• Better control my portion size. At times I loose focus (especially at dinner) and have portions that are way too big. I would like to focus on getting them back under control. Also I need to make sure my snacking portions during the day stay in check.
  

So starting in January I'm not making resolutions since I never keep them, more just working toward a goal to get healthier for myself and my kids. Its an on going process and I figure taking small steps such as this can help along the path.


This is how I looked before being pregnant this last time and its my goal to get back to that.

A better version can be seen here.

Oh and many others are doing a daily food journal. While I will post the +/- on my weight I will not be keeping a detailed food journal. A few years back I had major problems with weight loss and lost a good bit too quickly. I became obsessed with what I ate and ended up with an eating disorder. To maintain my sanity and mental health I will not be keeping a food journal but more looking at just eating healthy and controlling portion size.

Elli 3 months old

Well she is 12 weeks old this week. She is starting to sit in her Bumbo seat more and more and prefers that over tummy time. She has also become quite the talker. She loves gto lay in bed with me at night and talk until she falls asleep. Right now I'm guessing she is around 12.5 lbs and has probably grown about .5 to 3/4 of an inch. She is now starting to fit into 3 month clothes and most all of her 0-3 month clothes as well.

She is sleeping pretty good now. Normally she goes to bed around 9 or 9:30 and sleeps until between 2 and 4am then eats and goes back to sleep for about another hour or two. During the day she tends to stay up for 2 hours, take a 2 to 3 hour nap then back up again.

The only thing is her reflux is still getting the best of her some days. You can just see it on her face when its bad. Also she spits up a lot when it gets bad. The worst thing on her is that after she eats we have to hold her upright anywhere between 20 and 30 minutes then we can lay her in a swing or rocking chair. If anyone has any experience in other things to do to help her please let me know.I think we have it down but I'm always open to ways to make it better for her.

Elli 2 months old

Elliot turned 2 months old this week and had her pediatrician appointment. And the stats are:

11lbs 2 oz

22.5 inches long

She is in the 25^th percentile for both at the moment but no worries. We constantly joke at home that it took 3 kids for W to make a small one with hair.

She is really starting to show more of a personality now. She recognizes us more and responds to our voice. She also is more interested in playing and swatting at toys hanging above in her swing or bouncy seat. She also seems to think she has more head control than she really does and tends to want to flop around all over the place when she is on our shoulder being burped.

We found out shortly before I returned to work that she had reflux. She’s been on medication for a few weeks now and doing much better. Its so good to not see her in pain every time she eats.

Speaking of eating she is taking about 3 to 4 bottles while I’m gone of 4oz at a time. I’m pumping plenty at work and keeping up with her but yet I am still concerned about my supply. Just to be on the safe side I eat oatmeal almost every morning since its known to help with milk production.

Butters is doing well with her too. He recently started trying to give her a bottle when she gets upset. Also he will lay down on the floor and say “I love baby”, but will not call her Elli for anything. He will read the name, but won’t call her by her name. We think he knows and just wants to be stubborn. No surprise there. He does though however have a very bad habit of bringing us his empty cup or bowl and asking for something right when one of us sits down to feed her.

And now for the pictures. I apologize for the poor quality. My camera died a few weeks ago and I am taking all of these with my Blackberry. W did just get me an early birthday present so hopefully I can get a few with the new camera and post here soon.

 

Returning to work

On November 16^th I returned to the office after my 6 week maternity leave. With Butters I was very torn on coming back, but with Elli not so much. I guess this time I just had a better handle on how things would work and more confidence that we could do all of this. Still the morning I left part of me just felt bad. This would be the first day that she was on a bottle all day. I had no clue how much she would eat while I was gone. I left what I thought would be enough pumped milk in the refrigerator at home and told W that there was frozen bags in the freezer incase she powered through all of it.

Now returning to work this time was a little easier in one respect. When I went back after Butters was born I was determined to nurse as long as possible, but there was no place for me to pump at work except the bathroom. So up until the day I was laid off I pumped 3 times a day in the handicap stall. I had a metal folding chair in there but it was still not ideal at all. I would routinely have women come in and get irritated that I was in there pumping. My pump wasn’t really loud, but for some reason it bothered them that I did that. When I got hired at Sikorsky I did something similar because I honestly thought that if I raised questions with HR that something would happen to me.

That all changed when I went to the home office. There they actually have a lactation room that you can schedule with in outlook. The room is equipped with a chair, small couch microwave (for steam cleaning), sink, and small refrigerator. I was extremely impressed! So this time when I found out I was pregnant I asked at my office what could be done and was basically given the brush off and told the bathroom again. After talking to W and a local nursing mom’s group I decided to contact HR and ask if there could be some kind of arrangement made. Luckily since the laws up there are different than here (and better) the HR representative told me that they would help me. When I returned I was informed that one of the unused offices had blinds put up and I could go in there and pump and lock the door.

Since returning this has been great!! I pump 3 times a day and I’m not on an exact time schedule. I generally pump somewhere around 0630, 0930 and 1230 then head home around 1500. The door has a basic lock on it and I’ve never been bothered by anyone regarding the 10 to 15 minutes I’m gone to pump. When I’m done I transfer all the milk to a large container and take the parts to the bathroom to be rinsed out. I’m happy to say that at this point in 3 pumping sessions I’m getting somewhere between 18 and 20 oz a day and she is eating between 12 and 16 a day while I’m gone. This allows for some of the milk to be frozen every week.

So in general things are going well and its been good to get back to work and on somewhat of a schedule again.